Critics warn about new Albanese government’s proposed law: ‘It’s a harm’

In an age where the digital landscape is constantly evolving, governments worldwide are grappling with balancing public safety and individual freedoms.

The rise of online misinformation has brought fresh challenges to the forefront, the Albanese government's proposed legislation to combat misinformation and disinformation online has sparked a heated debate across the nation.

However, critics have raised the alarm about potential threats to freedom of expression and the very foundations of Australian democracy.



Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024, which is intended to protect online users from the spread of false information, has been met with staunch opposition from various quarters, including the Coalition, religious groups, and even the human rights commissioner.

They argued that the bill could inadvertently ‘undermine democracy’ by stifling free speech and the natural evolution of knowledge.


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Several groups have warned about the potential threats of the latest proposal of the Albanese government. Credit: Shutterstock


The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has been particularly vocal, with researcher Elizabeth Taylor expressing concerns about the bill.

‘One of our concerns about this Bill is that it has the potential to stifle the processes through which knowledge moves on,' she said.

'The misinformation of today may be proven to be correct tomorrow,' she stated.

Michelle Pearse, ACL's Chief Executive, has criticised the bill's provisions on religious vilification, calling them ‘an over-reaction to censor contrary opinions’.

Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli echoed this sentiment, saying, 'The legislation itself does not deal with this in any articulate way…the issue around who would be making judgments around what is truthful, what is fact, not so much the content itself.’

'The platforms themselves have bias.'



Australia's Human Rights Commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, has called for 'greater transparency, accountability, and scrutiny mechanisms' within the legislation.

She warned that the bill's broad definitions could blur the lines between harmful misinformation and disinformation, leading to ‘behavioural content that we don't like'.

'We don't feel the Bill in its current form strikes that right balance in terms of the protections that it provides, particularly for freedom of expression,' she said.

‘That's a harm that we say is very real based on the current drafting of the legislation, but it's a harm that's actually very hard to measure because we simply don't know to what extent that self-censorship might occur.’



Despite these concerns, eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has supported the bill, emphasising the need for the Australian Communications and Media Authority to have enhanced powers to demand transparency from digital platforms.

'We can't have accountability without meaningful transparency,' she said.

'My experience having worked 22 years in the technology industry, and now almost eight years as (commissioner), (is) we absolutely need powers to compel very specific answers to specific questions around what they are and are not doing.'
Key Takeaways
  • Critics, including religious groups and the human rights commissioner, warn that the Albanese government's proposed bill to combat misinformation may threaten freedom of expression and democracy in Australia.
  • The Australian Christian Lobby and others fear the bill could stifle debate and progress by censoring opinions or facts that are not yet widely accepted.
  • There are concerns about who will determine what counts as misinformation and disinformation, with calls for more transparency in these decisions.
  • While some support the bill for giving the Australian Communications and Media Authority more power to access information from digital platforms, others fear it could lead to self-censorship and restrict what people post online.
What do you think of this story, members? Let us know in the comments below!
 
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"The Australian Christian Lobby and others fear the bill could stifle debate and progress by censoring opinions or facts that are not yet widely accepted."
LOL - yes you have a lot to worry about there. The use of the "opinions or facts" is a conflict of interest, for sure!
 
I’m led to believe that the Government themselves will be exempt so there you have it - ALP & Greens & the violent extreme Left will continue to spew forth their lies but the rest of us will live in fear of persecution for expressing an opinion! Look closely at who the gatekeeper will be. Please reread 1984 & think where this is all going….too s..t that’s where!
 
The print media has been spreading misinformation about people since the 1940s Back then people didn't sue. When they print something a person had allegedly said at an interview and the person has no knowledge of the subject at all that is well "over the top". Media reports didn't reach ships instantly in those days. Lucky nothing illegal was printed.
 
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No, no, no, no. We don't need a government sensor determining and picking what constitutes misinformation and disinformation for their own purposes.

Haven't we learned from Covid alone that supposed misinformation can later be determined to be truth?

Information is different to hate speech and evil rhetoric. Control those for sure, especially the current Islamic extremism, but not our freedom of speech.
 
This is an abhorrent monstrosity clothed in so called good intent. It is copied from the US where freedom has declined because of the thought and word police action which is being imposed by the Democratic Party to ensure any opposition is diminished. It has been proven that lies have been allowed to exist in social platforms because they are of benefit to the ruling party. Who judges what is misinformation? There are no independent bodies anywhere in the World. Everyone has a bias. It is human nature so who will ensure fairness. Apart from that people should be free to voice their opinion especially about politics, Covid, and woke topics. Time for “Mansion” Albo and his henchmen to be shown the door in no uncertain manner.
 

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